Coffee Perks

On the 5th May, 2013 I gave my last and final speech in the Competent Communicator's Series. And I chose to talk about my favourite coffee. 🙂

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What wakes you up every morning? A kiss on the forehead by your loved ones? Your blaring alarm? Your kids crying? Or the aroma of freshly brewed coffee? Ever since young, I find that I depend on that jolt of freshly brewed coffee aroma, and that dash of caffeine to kick start my day. I like coffee and have being drinking it for more than 2 decades, I have developed some knowledge too. For example, I know the differences between Arabica, Robusta and Liberica. Also I know how to order coffee in their different names – Affogatto, espresso, cappuccino, frappe, latte, americano, long black, macchiato, mocha, you name it. A coffee connoisseur, I hear you say; but there are really so much more to learn about coffee.

Today I'm here to bust some myths to buy you over.

Drinking coffee is not addictive as most people thought. But it can be habit-forming, and I think it has a lot to do with the smell. According to American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, we can only agree that caffeine in coffee is a mild-stimulant but the regular use of caffeine does not result in severe withdrawal or harmful drug-seeking behaviors if we go cold turkey. Of course, we may feel some symptoms like headache, irritability, anxiety and fatigue but none of these represent the strong compulsion like the use of classic stimulants. Think cocaine and amphetamines. For this reason, most experts don't consider caffeine dependence a serious addiction. However, the American Dietetic Association does suggest this: no more than 200mg to 300mg of caffeine intake a day, which equals to 2-3 cups of coffee.

Next, health concerns. You will be surprised that moderate amounts of caffeine of about 300mg or three cups of coffee a day apparently cause no harm in most healthy adults. But at high levels of more than 744mg per day, caffeine may increase calcium and magnesium loss in urine. Recent studies suggest it does not increase our risk for bone loss, especially if we are getting enough calcium. According to a study by Creighton University Osteoporosis Research Center in Omaha, Neb, that caffeine's negative effect on calcium can be offset by as little as one or two tablespoons of milk.

I have a friend who needs at least a cup of coffee a day for her to be functional. Her greatest challenge when she was pregnant, was to ignore the aroma from my coffee cup every morning. This is a misconception. Many studies show no links between low amounts of caffeine (a cup of coffee per day) to any trouble in trying to conceive or miscarriage. However, the March of Dimes suggests fewer than 200mg of caffeine per day for pregnant women. That's largely because in limited studies, women consuming higher amounts of caffeine had an increased risk for miscarriage. Once a woman is carrying, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises no more than one or two cups of coffee a day. Too much caffeine may cause an irregular fetal heartbeat, which sometimes occurs in "women who eat excessive amounts of chocolate," claims Dr. Burke-Galloway, Lifescript Pregnancy Expert with the Florida Department of Health.

There are a growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to non drinkers are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, dementia, have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems and strokes. Most importantly, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is warm and to die for. So what is stopping you? Drink up.